Soul Mates: Or Giving In
by CampionSayn
Summary: Should a woman that's been dead for such a long time be able to find a second half? JinxBotan. Better than it sounds.


Disclaimer: I own nothing and nothing owns me.

Summary: There is an old myth about love and soul mates that has been playing around in Botan's mind for quite some time.

A/N: This just sort of came to me after watching an old episode from 'Xena: Warrior Princess' that I thought would be perfect for a slightly less than likely pairing that I've begun to favor.

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When Botan had begun ferrying souls, one of her first pickups were in Greece. At the time there had been very much turmoil, but it had been in early spring, and whatever war had been raging was put on hold.

She had observed many lovers walking about the temple of their goddess Aphrodite, offering fruits and wines and such. It was a very strange sight for Botan, but it was a wonderful sight.

When she had found the soul she needed to deliver and took it to Reikai, she had come back to this strange place to watch the festivals play out. And, while she enjoyed the sights, she had heard stories being told. One in particular had stuck with her through the duration as the Grim Reaper.

The story of soul mates.

Long ago, it was said that male and female were one and the same. Attached together, with two heads and four legs. But, one day when the gods were bored, they split the sexes apart, creating two separate beings and sent them to different places around the world. This was why, as the saying went, love was created. It was also the reason that most people spend a part of their existence looking for the other half of themselves. Of their souls.

At least once a day, Botan thought about this story. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she supposed, it was because in her past life, a long, long time ago, she had never found her other half. This didn't really bother her. The fact that _she_ didn't get to meet him didn't sadden her. It was the thought that her other half might not have found happiness. She could deal with being alone, but what of "The Other"? What of that?

But, when she had started helping Yusuke and the Tantei, these feelings began to subside. She became too busy to even think of the story anymore.

For a while anyway.

Then Kuwabara and Yukina found love in each other. For each other. She had been happy for them, truly she had.

Then Yusuke and Keiko admitted to loving one another. This came as no surprise. And she had been happy.

And, when Kurama and Shizuru had gotten together, she had been happy. Though, a slight pinching feeling had begun to start in her chest.

Then Hiei had gotten Mukuro. Creepy as hell and somewhat strange as it was, Botan was happy for the scariest person she had ever met, even if the event caused the pinching in her chest to increase. But she ignored it, because, frankly, he needed a soul mate if for nothing more than to lesson his angst.

Time passed and for a while the pinching stopped. She wondered what it was and whether or not she should see a doctor for it. Maybe she had worms or something? She certainly couldn't rule that out. She had made the mistake of eating Makai food when visiting Hiei to congratulate him and Mukuro on the treaty they had set up between Makai and Reikai.

But, when she had gone to the doctor, she had gotten a clean bill of health.

Then, a a week after her doctor visit, Koenma and Ayame announced that they would be getting married. This didn't come as a shock, seeing as they had been dating since... well, she lost count after the first thirteen months. She had been extremely happy for them, even if the pinching in her chest had returned and actually got a little sharper.

She had been maid of honor for Ayame, and was glad that Hinageshi had caught the bouquet instead of her. The little redhead needed some luck.

And apparently, Hinageshi got a lot of luck from that bouquet. She and Koenma's ogre, George, started dating the very next day. Try as she might though, when Hinageshi had told Botan, the bluenette found it getting difficult to be happy. She played up the part for her fellow reaper, though. Perfect fake smile and all. And the pinching had turned to stabbing an hour later. It actually hurt very badly now.

When she had finished her duties that week, and got the weekend off. She did something rather unlike herself.

She left for Makai, without telling anyone where she was going. She wasn't even going to visit Hiei. She just decided to go, fly around for a while and hope to Enma that the stabbing in her chest would cease. Leave her in peace for a while.

But, after three hours without any release, she finally figured out what the stabbing feeling was. Jealousy, sadness and loneliness.

Loneliness, especially.

She had then landed atop an apparently demon free tree and started crying without sound. The tears just came and she sat, not drying them with her sleeve or sobbing. She just cried.

Truly alone. That's what she was. Totally alone. All her friends had found their other half and she was alone. She would probably be that way for the rest of her existence. All of eternity.

"Fucking wonderful..." She whispered bitterly to herself, using a swear word she usually saved for enemies. She hated swearing, but now she simply felt like it was necessary.

Feeling suddenly very cold, she held herself. The winds had suddenly picked up from beyond the treetops, causing some leaves to disperse into the sky. Many landing in freed leaps and bounds upon rock and grass, some lagging behind, almost reminding the drooping deity of baby ducks following their parents.

Small amounts of sadness left her at the thought. A moment of strange relief from the wind. The wind.

It had lessened so suddenly she almost hadn't noticed.

With her head clearer then it had been, the bluenette finally took in her surroundings. She was in Makai. And nobody knew. If she was attacked now, she was all but defenseless. An easy meal for a hungry demon.

Alert, she was very aware of the fact that the wind had picked up again, distorting her hearing. The branches of the tree clicking together didn't help her sudden nervousness, either.

Beyond her field of vision, a shadow floated from below, whatever was casting it, obviously flying above her.

"Aye there lassie!"

The chipper voice from above came so quickly and without warning, Botan gave out a cry, falling from where she had been. Where she had been being very high above the ground, at least five stories.

The sight of the ground rushing towards her head was quite the adrenaline rush, but Botan was beyond glad when she was saved from smashing directly into it by whoever had greeted her. Arms holding her bridal style, floating back into the air.

The first thing to greet Botan's vision when she finally opened her eyes again, were a set of ocean blue eyes, red hair and a horn that looked all too familiar.

"Jin!"

"Geeze, you're real easy to spook. And after I kept ya' from going "ker-splat", an' all." The Irish demon joked, landing on solid ground so the frazzled deity could regain her balance.

"I-I-I--I didn't notice you. T-Thank you for catching me... Oh, Enma. That was scary." Botan said, falling onto her behind the second the wind master set her on solid terra firma.

"Say, you alright Botan? You don't look s'good." Jin asked, leening down so he was eye level with the deity. And it was true. She didn't look very good, not at all. Her eyes were out of focus and she was shaking lightly.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just," She paused, looking for the right words," Contemplating soul mates."

One of Jin's eyebrows raised," That so?"

"Yeah. Well, and the fact that every single one of my friends has gotten into a relationship with the person they're meant to be with while I'm stuck in limbo with a zero percent chance of ever getting someone to... keep me. After all, if their was someone for me, that one perfect someone, then he died a _long _time ago." She explained with a blank expression and a tone that sent a shiver up the wind master's spine.

"Ah." Was all Jin could think to say, suddenly feeling... a little sorry for the female. The urge to give her a hug was hard to fight off.

So, he gave up the fight.

Before Botan could react, a pair off warm arms wrapped around her. Jin's warm arms. The urge to cry again was becoming difficult to fight off. So, she gave up the fight.

Botan let out a sob, warm tears sliding down her cheeks as the wind master embraced her in a comforting hug. This, was something she needed very badly. She had always been the one to comfort. And now she, the deity of death with the strange hair color that everyone always questioned, was being comforted.

They just stayed like that, for the longest time. Her sobbing and clinging to him and him just being there.

In a way, this helped them both. She had needed someone and he had needed something to do that night.

When she finally stopped crying, Jin asked if she was okay.

She hesitated, thinking... and said, a small smile reappearing on her face," I will be. Thank you."

"Your welcome." Jin said, patting her lightly on the head.

Perhaps she woud never get her soul mate. But, she supposed, that wasn't a big problem. She had made a new friend.

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A/N: God, I hated this. I don't know why. But then again, I wrote it while I was supposed to be writing for my other YYH fic, so that might be the reason.

Oh, the power of guilt.

Read and review if you will. I need to know if this was as bad in print as it was in my head.


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